Weekend Top Ten Jan. 8-10: Kids’ photos, beach polo, Second Saturday and more
Never has a week needed a week-end more than this one, eh? Per usual, there’s a variety of virtual and in-person options in arts, entertainment and general fun — but whatever you do, wear your mask and keep your distance. COVID ain’t foolin’ around. Virtually Through Our Eyes: Midtown and Beyond (pictured above). One of my favorite annual events,”Midtown and Beyond” at The Studio@620 showcases 100 photos, multimedia, and newspaper pieces created by scholars in grades K-12 from Pinellas County Schools’ Centers for Journalism and Multimedia at Melrose Elementary, John Hopkins Middle, and Lakewood High. You need to register in advance to see the exhibition in person, but there are also virtual events planned, including a live-streamed reception at 6 p.m. on Friday and a poetry slam at 3 p.m. Saturday. Jan. 8-30, thestudioat620.org. Second Saturday ArtWalk “Midtown and Beyond” is just one of the gallery shows that’ll be open during St. Pete’s Second Saturday ArtWalk — the first of 2021. Studios and galleries from Art Fusion to Zen Glass will be open at various times throughout the day in five arts districts, including Central, EDGE, Grand Central, Warehouse Arts and downtown Waterfront Arts.No trolley this month, so plan accordingly, and do be prepared to follow each establishment’s guidelines for entry. EGO DEATH at MIZE Gallery The title of the exhibition may sound ominous, but this one-man show at the MIZE Gallery is “really all about transformation,” says artist iBOMS. See his engrossing (and often endearing) mindscapes and mushroom-headed protagonists (and listen to the accompanying Spotify playlist) at chadmize.com; attend on online opening Friday night on Facebook or Instagram; or visit the gallery Saturdays 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Sundays 10 a.m.-2 p.m., or by appointment. Jan. 9-24, 689 Dr. MLK Jr. St. N., St. Petersburg. Second Annual Beach Polo Classic at the Don CeSar If The Crown whetted your appetite for the sport of kings, gallop on down to St. Pete Beach and the Pink Palace, aka the Don CeSar, where horseplay will be afoot all weekend. And if you tire of hoofs pounding sand and mallets thwapping balls, check out the hotel’s new pool bar and other renovations. Jan. 9-10, 12- 3 p.m. Tickets on Eventbrite. One Night in Miami… at Green Light Cinema Read Howard Walker’s feature about Green Light, where Mike Hazlett’s prescient programming includes terrific indie flicks that haven’t made it online yet like this weekend’s One Night in Miami…, which imagines a meeting between four icons — Malcolm X, Jim Brown, Sam Cooke and Muhammad Ali — in a film that marks the acclaimed directorial debut of Watchmen‘s Regina King. 221 2nd Ave. N., St. Petersburg, Jan. 8-11, greenlightstpete.com. Mendelssohn, Bach & Molière at The Florida Orchestra They’re bringing out the heavyweights, musically and theatrically speaking, at TFO. Mendelssohn’s “Reformation” Symphony No. 5 is regarded as one of his most thrilling, and the two Bach pieces on the program include his Concerto for Two Violins, featuring the orchestra’s Nancy Chang and Sarah Shellman (Sat. 2 & 8 p.m., Sun. at 2; the 8 p.m. Saturday program will also be livestreamed). In “A Noble Pairing,” Music Director Michael Francis conducts interpretations of Molière’s satire Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme (The “Would-Be Gentleman”) by Lully and Strauss. (Sat. & Sun. at 5 p.m.) Click here to watch a pre-concert conversation. The Artists of ArtLofts at Florida CraftArt Just above and behind Florida CraftArt on St. Pete’s Central Avenue, there’s a busy hive of artists’ studios called ArtLofts. This month, CraftArt’s gallery is showcasing 16 of ArtLofts’ award-winning and emerging artists, including recent drawings, encaustic, glass, jewelry, mixed media, painting, photography and sculpture. 501 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, through Jan. 23. Live and Local w. Eden Shireen The Straz continues its free live music series on the outdoor Riverwalk stage with an up-and-coming young singer/songwriter from Land O’ Lakes, Eden Shireen, who’s been making a name for herself nationally with an eclectic blend of pop, indie and folk. Fri. Jan. 8, 6-9 p.m., Straz Riverwalk. Over the River and Through the Woods at Ed Fletcher’s Early Bird Dinner Theatre. This funny, poignant play about the relationship between a young New Jersey bachelor and his Italian grandparents was an Off-Broadway hit in 1998 and went on to become a staple of community theaters — including Gulport Community Players, whose production four years ago still lingers in my memory for its nuanced, touching performances. The same director, Patrick Brafford, is now staging it for Early Bird Dinner Theatre, and in the current climate, when visits to older relatives are so fraught with concern, the play should be more affecting than ever. [Full disclosure: I’ve been in three plays directed by Mr. Brafford, but trust me: He’s really good.] Jan. 9-Feb. 28, Thurs.-Sat., 4 p.m., Thursdays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. 13355 49th St. N., Clearwater, 727-446-5898. The Bucs. Tom Brady. Playoffs. Need we say more? Well, I could say they’re playing The Team With No Name From Washington. And that the game starts at 8:15 p.m. Saturday night on NBC. And that it’s been called “the most improbable playoff game of 2020.” Which seems about right. (Even though it’s now, um, 2021. But it sort of seems like we’re still living in 2020, doesn’t it?)
Green Light Cinema: The Little Movie House That Could
If you’re a movie lover, spare a thought for Mike Hazlett. Back in March, he was all set to open his new indie movie theater, Green Light Cinema, in the heart of downtown St. Pete. Then Covid struck. With a vengeance. “We were going to have a grand opening. Lots of VIPs. Champagne. Popcorn. Lots of popcorn. It never happened,” says the Boston native. After summer turned to fall, Hazlett came up with Plan B. On October 2, he finally opened the doors with a single-minded focus on safety. Seat rows were set six feet apart. Masks were required. The place was literally awash with hand-sanitizer. And instead of a max capacity of 50, he cut it to 30, with seats blocked off between couples and families. The result of all this? Still not so good. “I think people may have just gotten out of the habit of going out to the movies. But with a new year, and a vaccine on the way, I’m hoping it will change. This is a really safe environment, and the films we’re showing are just too good to miss.” Independent films. They’ve been lacking in culture-rich St. Pete for years. Pre-Covid, you had to make the drive to Tampa Theatre or hope they made it into the lineup at the now-defunct Gallery at AMC Sundial or at St. Pete Beach’s much-loved Beach Theatre, which shuttered in 2012. Following a move south five years ago — Hazlett’s better half was offered a corporate job with TECO — the 54-year-old made it his mission to bring independent movies to the city. He found an empty office space at 221 2nd Ave. N., steps away from Sundial and the AMC cineplex. He reconfigured it into a single-screen theater and equipped it with the best-of-the-best digital projection and 7.1 surround sound. If those red velvet seats look familiar, they actually came out of AMC Sundial. “I was walking past one day and saw that they were throwing all these great movie seats into the dumpster. I guess it was while they were converting to the big recliners. “I was like, ‘Time out, guys!’ The next day I came back with a big truck and a bunch of guys. It saved me a chunk of money. And the best part; I have another hundred in storage.” Hazlett knows a lot about the movie-going experience. Back in the ’80s, he started a small theater in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, then spent eight years running a 2,000-seat theater in Portland, Maine. Movies and performing arts are in his blood. “I’ve always been a movie buff. When I was a kid it would be the Brattle Theater in Cambridge, Mass. Like here, it was just a small movie theater with one screen. You’d walk in and it would be like entering a different world.” It’s Hazlett’s personal choice when it comes to picking films for Green Light. His first screening back in October was the psychological drama The Nest starring Jude Law. He followed up with the science fiction horror-fest Possessor. Then the more mainstream indie flick On the Rocks with Bill Murray, and Sofia Coppola doing the directing. “We’ve shown some pretty cool documentaries which have been well-received. Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President was just wonderful. As was Billie, the rich documentary about the life of Billie Holiday.” It helps to know that a Green Light movie-going experience isn’t going to break the bank. It’s just $10 for a ticket — $8 for seniors — $5 for a glass of wine, $3 for a Coke, and $3 for a small bag of popcorn. And there’s free parking out back. “Streaming at home isn’t going away. But sitting in a dark theater, with a big screen, a great sound system and that bag of popcorn in your lap is completely different than sitting in your living room and hitting the pause button when the phone rings.” For now Mike Hazlett is weathering the storm. He just wants to show great movies to people who love going to the movies. “Everyone is looking for an excuse to get out of the house for a couple of hours. We’re happy to provide that escape.” Quick-fire questions for Mike HazlettFavorite movie? The 1983 Scottish comedy-drama Local Hero. Best male actor? Paul Newman. Best female actor? Audrey Hepburn. Best director? Tie between Hitchcock and Spielberg. Favorite genre? ’70s grit (French Connection) and The Maltese Falcon. Best film shown at Green Light so far? Jimmy Carter: Rock & Roll President. What film would sell out? A classic, like It’s a Wonderful Life or Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Favorite Green Light treat? Junior Mints. Front row or back? Back, always. Coming up: One Night in Miami…, Jan. 8-11. A fictional account of one incredible night where icons Muhammad Ali, Malcolm X, Sam Cooke, and Jim Brown gathered discussing their roles in the civil rights movement and cultural upheaval of the ’60s. Oscar- and Emmy-winning actress Regina King (Watchmen) makes her directorial debut here, and it’s getting major Oscar buzz. See it at Green Light this weekend before it hits Amazon Prime.